Epidural pain relief with fentanyl during childbirth does not affect early breastfeeding success

Including the opioid fentanyl in the solution used to maintain an epidural during childbirth does not appear to affect the success of breastfeeding six weeks after delivery, according to a study published in Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Previous research has suggested fentanyl might be associated with early termination of breastfeeding.